Thief-catching device for banks.



M. HANKULICH.

THIEF ICATCHINGDEVICE FOR BANKS.A

APPLICATION FILED IAN. Io, |916.

LSLSO?. Patented May 2, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

51 la f7 i Jak M. HANKULICH.

THIEF CATCHING DEVICE FOR BANKS. APPLICATION Flu-:D 1AN.10,19|6. LSLSGK Patented May 2, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

mgl. WW AEV o O O O O l] (D O) O O O O O (D Q 5 5g 7% ilu UCHOL /f :,nIrl/llllml o JM; Manffmhcle/ MICHAEL HANKULICH, F WEBSTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

'rHmF-'catrcHINe' D Evrcn Fon BANKS.

'Specincationof Letters Patent.

Patented May 2,-, 1916.

Application tiled January 10, 1916. Serial No. 71,265.

To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, MICHAEL HANKULICH,

l a citizen of the VUnited States of America,

residing at Webster, in the county of Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thief-Catching Devices for Banks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in thief catching devices for banks.

The primary object of the invention is the provlsion of a means for capturing any persons who are standing at the cash windows of a bank, such for instance as a thief wrongly demanding money, the device being arranged for automatically sounding Y the alarm at a distant point. f

A further object of the device is to provide a means for capturing persons attempting to hold up a bank and retain such persons adjacent the money windows of the bank and being readily operated by the bank officials, an electric alarm being automatically sounded at a distant police .station when the device is operated.

The invention is adapted to be readily installed in connection with the money windows of any bank for preventing hold ups which frequently loccur in different localities, the device being in the form 'of shiftable partitions automatically operated upon being released andarranged to close an electrical circuit for sounding an alarm at any distant point such as within thel police station.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the 'invention is better understood, the same con- Y sists in the novel comblnatlon and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described,

illustrated in the accompanying drawings and then claimed.

In the drawings forming a part of-this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views:-Figure 1 is a .horizontal sectional view through abank provided with the presen-t device. Fig. 2 is a similar enlarged sectional view through ene of the guides for'the shiftable partition `when the latter is open. Fig. 3 is a similar 4view with the partition closed. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view through the device, parts being broken away with the partition retained in its open position. Flg. 5 is a -similar vView with the partition released and closed. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the upper portion ofthree of the partition panels. Fig. 7 shows detail views of the antifriction members carried by the panels, and Fig. 8 is a detail view partially. insection of the retaining catch for the partition and the alarm switch.

It being understood that the invention may be employed in connection with the paymg window of any bank, the same is herein illustrated in connection with a bank having side walls 10vand a safe deposit vault 11 and with cages 12 for the oHcials of the bank such as the cashier and paying teller.

The front wallor casing 13 of the cages 12 is provided with the usual windows or openings 14 for -dispensing money therethrough to customers within the space 15 forwardly of the said wall.v Substantially semi-circularguides 16 and 17 are provided adjacent the wall 13 and positioned respectively above and below each ofthe openings 14, the said guides being channel-shaped in cross section and the lower guide'17 being preferably countersunk within the concrete or other formof floor 18 with which the bank is provided. A flexible partition 19 is formed of a plurality vof panels 20 hinged together as at 21 and slidably arranged within the guides 16 and 17 and adapted for sliding therein as well as for reception within passages 22 in the adjacent sides of the f the lower edges of each of the panels 20. v

While similar ball membersv24 arerevolubly journaled in the panels 20 atvpoints adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof. For this arrangement it will be understood that the balls 23 and the lower balls 2-1 are arranged within the lower guide 17 while the upper balls 24 are positioned within the upper guide 16 and whereby the sliding partition is anti-frictionally mounted for opening and closing forwardly of the adjacent window 14.

Coil springs 25 are positioned in the passage 22 at one side of each`of the windows 14 and have their outer ends anchored withinthe said passages while their opposite ends are attached to the adjacent end of the partition 19, the partition being normally positioned within the passage 22 at the opposite side ofthe window 14 from that in which the springs 25 are secured. The said springs are thus normally tensioned in their .extended positions within the guides 16 and 17 as best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings.

Retaining latches 26 are slidably positioned betweenl the upper and lower guides 16 and 17 andare operatively connected toj springs 25 to forcibly and quickly slidethe partition 19 o'ut of its receiving passage 22 and through the guides 16 and 17 and forming an'inclosure forwardly of the window 14 for the purpose of retaining captive the person standing at the window, the partition being then arranged asv illust-rated in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings.

A spring pressed catch 29 is arranged in the passage 22 Vwherein the springs 25 are anchored, the said catch being adapted to automatically engage the partition A19 when closed and retain the same until the catch 29 is released. When the said catch is released by a person within a room beneath the ioor space 15, as in a cellar or other apartment, a cord 30 positioned ,wherever desired, such.as in one of the passages 22 and secured to the" adjacent end of the partition'19 may be forciblyv pulled for opening the said partition and drawing the same within the said passage 22, thus positioning y the operating springs `25 under tension, the

latches 26 being then engaged with the partition 20 tov releasably retain the partition open; j

Space switch-arms of any desired form -are arranged adjacent the catch 29, one of the same being illustrated at 31 while circuit wires 32 connect the said switch with an alarm bell`33 positioned Wherever desired vided with a grating 35 inclosed therebyl which` forms the top of the inclosure made by the partition 19 when operatively closed, thus preventing the thief from escaping over the top guide 16. It will thus be evident that when the lever 27 is released for catching the thief within the sliding partition 19, the adjacent metallic panel 20 will contact A the switch members 31 thus closing the electrical circuit and automatically sounding the alarm bell 33. The thief is thus captured within the bank by the ofiicials thereof having operated the lever. 27 and upon the sounding of the alarm bell 33 persons such as policemen who are thus made aware of the capture may assemble in the bank and force the thief to submit himself to legal arrest.

While the form of the invention herein shown and described is what is believed to be the preferable embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood ythat minor changes may be made in the form, proper'- tion and details of `'construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

lVhat I c laim as new is 1. A device of the class described comprising in combination with a bank cage having a window therein and being further provided with passages at opposite sides of the window, substantially semi-circular U- shaped guides arranged above and below the window', a partition formed of panels hinged together shiftably arranged within the said guides and slidably within the said opposite passages, releasable retaining latches for the said partition, and automatic closing springs operatively attached to the said partition.

2Q A device of the class described comprising in combination with a bank cage having a window therein and being further provided with passages at opposite sides of the window. substantially semi-circular U- shaped guides arranged above and below thewindow, a partition formed of panels hinged together shiftably arranged within the said guides and slidably within the said opposite passages, releasable retaining latches for the said partition, closing springs for the said partition arranged within the said guides and having their outer ends anchored within one of the said passages,va retaining catch for the said partition and an opening pull cord arranged within the other one of the said passages and attached to the adjacent end of the partition.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature. MICHAEL HANKULICH. 

